Steam-coupling for railroad-cars



S. A. APPOLD. STEAM GOUPLING FOR RAILROAD GARS.

Patented Au'g. 23, 1870.

J w y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. APPOLD, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

'STEAM-COUPLmo Fon RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 106,648, dated August 23, 1870.

lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part oi' this Speciication, in which- Figure lis a side elevation, partly sectional, and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section in the line ai, Fig. l.

-This invention relates to an apparatus for heating railway'cars by steam, whether the same be the exhaust from the locomotive-cylinder, orlive steam from the locomotive-boiler or from a smaller boiler provided specially for the purpose.

The invention has for its object to connect the steam-heating system of pipes of one car with the steam-heating system of pipes of another car by a universally-jointed andexpansible coupling placed beneath thebumpers, and

' so constructed that it may accommodate itself to the curves and irregularities of railways, and to the inequalities in speed which produce variations in the intervals between the cars of a moving train.

In the drawings, a, Fig. 1, is a cast-metal pipe, having at one end an internally-projecting ange, b. A

c isa head on the outside of the pipo a, at its opposite extremity, and projecting beyond the end of the pipe some little distance.

d is the steam-pipeinclosed within the pipe c, said steam-pipe having an outwardly-proiecting ange, c, at one extremity, in a. recess in` which flange is a composition rin g,z', which is expanded by heat whenever steam enters the pipe d, and forms a steam-tight joint between the pipes a and d, a rubbergrommet, o, which is let into the ange b, also forming a steam-tight joint between the two pipes.

f is a head on the opposite extremity of the steam-pipe d from the ange e, and outside of the pipe a, and containing a circular groove, n.

h is an annular tongue on the end of a' head, 7c, which is formed on the extremityof another with the pipe d by introducing the tongue h into the groove n and turning the head k until its ears r come within the ears s of the head f. The two headsf and k are at the middle of the space between the two cars, and an appa-4 ratus similar to that shown in Fig. 1, on the left of the steam-pipe d, is supposed to be connected with the steam-pipe of which k is the head. The pipe d is movable lengthwise in the pipe a, and is drawn outward as often as thecar to which it is attached moves faster than the one immediately following. A spring, u, draws the pipe d back to its former position in the pipe c whenever the rear car comes up.

A A, Fig. 1, are two hollow cast-iron cones, which are screwed together at their bases. Trunnions m project from opposite sides of the base of one ot' the cones A, and to thetrunnions are jointed, near their lower ends, two connecting rods, t t, which are jointed near their upper extremities upon pins w, projecting horizontally from the ends of a box, B. In the box B is steppeda stem, @,whichis formed with adisk, C, on its upper end. The disk C is supposed to be attached to the lower side of the bumperof the car. The stem c and box B are so connected that the latter may turn on the former. The connecting-rods are capable of turning on the pinsw, and the box, made up of thetwo cones AA, is capableof turning in the connecting-rods. This combination of joints renders the coupling sufficiently exible. The heads of the cones A are open. Hollow hemispheres D, formed of composition metal, t into the concavities within the cones Aat their heads, the hemispheres being each formed with four or more internal ribs, w, Fig. 1, which converge upon and are radial to a hollow knob, z. One ofthe conesA is formed with four or more internal ribs, D', which converge upon and are radial to a tube, E, placed centrally of the cone. Within the tube E is a spiral spring, F, inclosing two plugs, G, one at each end of the tube, each plug being lformed with a ange, g, against which the spring bears, and each plug having a globular head, q, which rests in the concavity of the knob z. By means cf thc spring F and plugs G the hemispheres l) are keptin contact with the conesA. The springs l allow the hemispheres to ease themselves toward' the tube E when expanded by heat. The hemispheres are connected by short pipes d', which are continuations of thesteam-pipes, with cups H, which are screwed into the heads c of the pipes c. By these means lthe steampipes are connected with the cones by a. uuivcrsaljont, the hemispheres rolling in all directions iu their seats in the cones A. The cup H at the lef't of Fig. 1 is supposed to be screwed into a. pipe similarto a, and that pipe v is connected by an elbow with the heating system ot' the car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the cones A, ribs D',

Vtube ljltspring F, plug G, and hemisphere D,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. 2. The combination ofthe cones A,pipe'sa d, hemisphere D, and cup H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

3. The combination ofthe cones A, connecting-rod t, box B, stem v, land disk C, substantially as and for the purpose explained.

SAMUEL A. APPOLD.

Witnesses SoLoN C. KEMoN, CEAS. A. PETTIT. 

